Content stored in an online storage account associated with a content management system can be accessed on computing devices in a variety of ways, such as through a stand-alone application, one or more application plug-ins, a web browser, etc. Users can upload content items, such as pictures, songs, documents, folders, etc., from a computing device to their online storage account and later access the content items from different computing devices. The content management system can store revision histories of each of the content items associated with a user account. The revision histories can facilitate synchronization of the content between multiple computing devices associated with the user account.
In some situations, users may want to unlink their computing devices from the content management system, such as if the users misplace or lose their devices or intend to resell or give away their devices. A content management system, such as the system provided by Dropbox Inc. of San Francisco, Calif., can unlink a user account on a specified computing device such that local content items on the device no longer synchronize with the content management system. On certain user accounts, the content management system can leave the local content items on the computing device when unlinking the user account. On other types of user accounts, the content management system can remotely wipe or delete the local content items from the computing device or leave the local content items on the device depending on user selection. Occasionally users may relocate their computing devices or change their minds about reselling or giving away their devices, and desire to relink their user accounts on unlinked devices. The content management system can also support this functionality. However, for those computing devices that retain local content items, potential conflicts can arise. For example, a computing device may store an outdated revision of a local content item if the content item was updated during a time the computing device was unlinked. As another example, the local content item may include updates during the time the computing device was unlinked and those updates would not have been synchronized by the content management system. As yet another example, the content item may be deleted, renamed, or moved during this time. Systems and methods may be necessary to handle such situations.